@vlad: that's a 15' leap, you can move another 5' and attack the nearest sailor.
Bessie's spell pushes the bolt partially out but not completely.
Vlad lands in a run and moves to slash at the nearest foe with his cutlass.
There isn't much forward movement from the boarding party aside from Vlad, so Nasifi snatches up a grappling hook and throws it across to connect the two ships.
"We need to move now! Go while Vlad has the fore!"
Vlad leaps across the gap between the ships and slashes at the nearest sailor. The sailor just barely flinches back and the cutlass strikes the nearby stairs sending wood chips flying. Nasifi's throw is perfect and she gets the grapple to hook almost immediately.
As the ships draw alongside one another, Guillaume dives overboard, quickly closes the distance to the ship, and scampers up the side.
When she has a chance she will follow Vlad into the battle, leaping onto the deck of the enemy ship, Jolly Rodger flapping from the strap of her healers kit.
Guillaume's head peaks above the deck rail of the ship when the pirates finally react to Vlad's assault. Two of the sailors attack Vlad with their short swords and those on the xbows fire at the women. Vlad's armor just turns one of the blades and the other misses without concern. Likewise the x-bow shots fail to find their mark.
Bessie makes her leap and targets the closest crossbow shooter with her Storm Burst. Ukushisa kwesiphepho!
6/7 uses
Nasifi aims her cross bow and takes one more shot while the others cross.
She follows across the rope afterward, dropping down over the railing next to Guillaume on the other ship's deck.
With a malicious grin...
Guillaume climbs fully aboard and fires a burst of water at the nearest sailor firing a crossbow. Vlad makes another vicious chop at the sailor before him. They both miss their target.
The sailors continue to defend their position knowing there is no place to run. Vlad takes a shallow cut from one sailor but manages to avoid a nasty swing by the other. For his part Guillaume deftly avoids the bolt hurled his way but Nasifi is not so lucky and screams as one of the large bolts hits home.
The fog shifts on the main deck below. Near the poop deck the Peril crew all see Captain Harrigan in the swirl of battle. An opposing sailor is creeping up behind him and presumably going to gut him from behind.
"Cap'n, behind you!" Crow bellows. I may hate myself in the mornin' fer that, but I'd rather him be in charge than his sadistic lackeys.
Meanwhile, he has his own troubles to deal with. But with more of his companions backing him up, he begins to start encouraging them as only a skald can. "Yer in fer it now, boyos," he says as he whips them all into a fighting frenzy.
The crossbow bolt really hurts, but Nasifi has to ignore the man behind it for the moment. We have to break out onto the deck...
She takes another bomb and start to lob it the sailor to Vlad's right. But, when she hears Vlad call out to Harrigan, she changes targets, throwing it at the sailor sneaking up behind the Captain. If he doesn't hear Vlad call, the disturbance of the bomb should be unmistakable.
Seeing the sailor sneak up behind the captain, Guillaume sighs, bu reorients himself. I'm going to regret this later.
Pulling the water to himself again, he unleashes a blast at the creeping sailor.
Crit?
Nice blast Guillaume, now switch spots with me - I want to heal Nasifi.
Bessie then targets the nearest crossbowman again.
Bessie makes her leap and targets the closest crossbow shooter with her Storm Burst. Ukushisa kwesiphepho!
Vlad's warning gets the Captain's attention but, as the Captain turns Nasifi's bomb strikes burning the would be assassin and burning other sailors nearby. Then Guillaume's water blast takes the man in the back. The sailor lurches forward in a weird back bend before falling to the deck. Captain Harrigan looks up at the Peril crew and nods before slashing down another nearby sailor. Bessie's blast is quite effective and drops the wounded crossbowman.
The sailors continue a valiant defense of the ship cries of pain and anger drift out of the fog. For their part, those guarding the aft deck and the stern-castle yell and fight ferociously as well. One of them gets another hit on Vlad and the crossbowman is just deadly, nearly sending Nasifi sprawling to the deck.
Vlad takes the cut in stride and grins at the man as he returns with a swipe with his own blade. (I think that's sailor #2)
I got ya! Bessie says as she lays a hand on Nasifi, Amanxeba alula! Bessie calls the healing power of Besmara to aid Nasifi.
"Thanks!" Nasifi gasps to Bessie when the priestess heals her.
She's still seriously wounded and knows she'll have to be careful, no mixing it up at arm's reach for her. She chides herself for forgetting to take her augmentation formula before boarding began, while there was plenty of time for it. Still would help though.
Nasifi gulps down the contents of a small vial, then hustles over to the now unmanned mounted crossbow. She figures what's good for the goose is good for the gander.
Vlad cuts down one of the sailors as Bessie heals Nasifi. When Nasifi moves to the open crossbow she finds there are still several bolts, point down in a vertical box next to it. The wench appears heavier than standard, probably to aid in reloading quicker and only practical on a mounted version.
Seeing Nasifi up and manning the crossbow, she moves to engage the other crossbowman, hoping that the mount won't allow him to fire at so close a target.
Besmara guide your weapon and your beasts shall feast tonight!
For all her bravado, her blade comes nowhere close.
Guillaume sends a torrent of water at the sailor facing off against Vlad. The water surge misses and the sailors attack. Not wanting to exchange shots with Nasifi, the other crossbowman abandons his weapon and steps forward, short sword in hand to engage her. Both sailors are starting to get rather scared and make incompetent attacks failing to hit either of the Peril crew. Bessie then steps up to attack the sailor assaulting Nasifi but misses.
Vlad parries the opposing sailors attack and delivers a vicious cut to his midsection.
Nasifi tries an underarm toss to put a bomb between the sailor's legs and behind him. The idea being his body would shield Bessie and herself from any splash. Unfortunately the mounted crossbow fouls her arm and the bomb flies wild.
Guillaume steps behind Vlad, hoping to get a better shot at Bessie's opponent, but the man moves at the last minute and he misses badly, sending a fountain of water past the ship's stern.
Vlad cuts the man badly, if not for his armor it would have emptied his guts on the deck. Suddenly there is a massive explosion that rocks the ship.
Though the ship rocked beneath him, Vlad was able to keep his footing solid. "Besmara's boots! What was that?"
If it explodes, I blame Nasifi! Bessie calls out playfully as stays standing as the deck rolls and pitches beneath her feet.
The sailor facing Vlad goes down when the ship shakes. He immediately attempts to regain his feet (AoO). Vlad never gives him the opportunity and cuts him down. Meanwhile the Sailor on the aft deck slashes at Nasifi. His blow misses, whacking into the crossbow. On the main deck, the fog clears near the aft deck stairs on the starboard side and shows three sailors attempting to drop one of the ship's boats and working the process expertly.
Guillaume rocks for a moment, then steadies himself and looks around for the source of the explosion.
With his immediate opponent down, Vlad runs across the deck to see if he can hamper the ones with the boat.
piercing damage
Guillaume fires a spurt of water past Bessie, but misses her opponent.
Enough bluster. Time to kill some people.
Besmara guide my blade!
Nasifi finally opts to draw her machete against the sailor. Pointlessly.
The sailors are hammered by Vlad's spell. They are taken aback for just a moment before one of them yells, "Conrad, get that boat in the water, Tad and I will take care of this guy." Two of them rush up the stairs to attack but fail to coordinate and get in each other's way. Conrad at least upholds his part of the bargain and gets the forward boom set to drop and then moves to the aft. On the top deck, the sailor Bessie just stabbed attempts to get even but she easily parries the blow.
[PC actions]
Guillaume, help Crow, Nasifi and I will kill this one! With that Bessie swings at the sailor again.
Your blood will feed my goddess!
Nasifi keeps at the sailor along with Bessie.
Vlad messed up a bit and has to re-start his raging performance which he should have just kept maintaining so that's his turn.
So again, that's available to anyone who wants it.
Guillaume steps up the steps a bit to get a better angle, and then launches another torrent of water at Vlad's opponent.
Nasifi and Bessie cut into the sailor before them but he stood his ground and retaliated. He did not give as good as he received but did manage to put a good gash across her arm. Meanwhile, Vlad began his recitation of the epic of Gangar the pirate king and Guillaume blasted one of the sailors assaulting the skald but was unable to break their attack. Vlad took a nasty cut to the thigh and nearly faltered in his performance but persevered. The remaining sailor working the longboat managed to get it dropped. The boat hit the water with a splash and awaited someone to drop in and begin their escape.
Vlad staggers a bit as he continues his story. With an angry growl, he swipes at one of the sailors facing him.
"Don't let 'em get away!"
Blood for blood! Once we take him down, we man the crossbows and make sure that boat doesn't leave.
Nasifi continues to ineptly engage the sailor, locked into the same situation as she has been since forever ago.
With his higher position, Vlad managed to overpower his opponent's defenses and slashed the man brutally. Guillaume then followed up with another blast of water that sent the man to the deck. The sailor who had freed the boat leaped overboard with a yell to his friend. The sailor facing Vlad took a step backward, brandishing his sword, and then vaulted into the water below.
Nasifi and Bessie had their attacks parried and their assailant gained confidence. He thrust at Nasifi and drew blood nearly dropping her.